THE National Food Authority (NFA) in Northern Mindanao is collaborating with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in an aim to curb smuggling and hoarding activities that may have affected the stability of rice supply in the country.

In its press statement, the NFA-Northern Mindanano said the NBI team sought the complete list of authorized importers and NFA registered warehouses in the region and inquired about the status of the supply of rice in its jurisdiction.

The NFA is the sole authority with visitorial power to inspect warehouses that are used to store palay, rice, corn, corn grits and other grains and their substitutes and or their by-products/end-products and/or their by-products/end-products and to order its seizure.

“The agency (NFA) has been doing inspections of grains business establishments on a regular basis. Its enforcers have been apprehending and penalizing violators for various offenses,” the NFA-Northern Midnanao said in a statement.

But in times like this, NFA's own personnel force may not be enough for the job that is why NFA administrator ordered the creation of a technical working group (TWG) composed of several NFA department managers to coordinate with other government enforcement agencies like National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), Bureau of Customs (BOC), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Philippine National Police (PNP), and Philippine Competition Commission (PCC),” it added.

The move is in pursuant to the directive of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to fight “economic saboteurs” and to curb illegal activities on rice trading in the whole country.

Lawyer Edgardo Uy, chairman of the City Price Coordinating Council, also urged the NFA for intensified inspections amid the large spike of rice prices.

Uy said although there are no reports on rice hoarding and similar illegal activities, the NFA still must look into the factors of the high price of rice in the city markets.